Jarry's Oilers Future, Red Wings' Big-Swing Summer, and a $104M Cap That Changes Everything

The Hockey Writers' latest NHL rumor roundup lands three significant offseason developments in one shot: Edmonton is leaning toward keeping Tristan Jarry rather than trading him, Detroit's Steve Yzerman is under mounting pressure to finally make a franchise-altering move, and the NHL has set next season's salary cap ceiling at $104 million — a figure that will reshape how teams build rosters and, by extension, how we should be thinking about player prop markets heading into 2026-27.

Start with Jarry, because the Oilers' decision here has the sharpest immediate prop-betting implications. Edmonton is reportedly reluctant to trade assets to absorb his $5.375 million cap hit, preferring to bet on a bounce-back year. The alternative being floated — an AHL assignment that clears $1.225 million — would push Connor Ingram into a starting role, a man who himself is a pending free agent. Jarry posted an ugly 2025-26 campaign; his save percentage and goals-against numbers were well below the league average for a starter, and the playoff tape only reinforced those concerns. Whether he gets the crease or Ingram does, the Oilers' goalie situation entering next season is a live variable — one that directly affects save totals, goals-against props, and Edmonton's overall defensive structure in a way that won't be priced cleanly until rosters firm up.

In Detroit, Yzerman's patience is being tested. Elliotte Friedman has noted that Yzerman kicked the tires on Quinn Hughes long-term without pulling the trigger, and internal frustration is growing after another disappointing finish. Yzerman himself teased 'significant changes in players' at his end-of-season presser — language that reads less like organizational optimism and more like a green light on major roster surgery. The Red Wings carry a core group of younger forwards whose production lines — goals, assists, points — could look dramatically different depending on whether Yzerman brings in a proven top-six piece or a franchise defenseman to quarterback the power play. Detroit's anytime goal and power-play point props were largely fade material in 2025-26; that calculus could shift sharply if Yzerman delivers.

Meanwhile, Calgary sits at nearly $19 million in cap space with draft capital to burn. Jonathan Huberdeau's $10.5 million AAV against inconsistent offensive output makes him the most likely trade chip in the NHL right now, and ESPN's Ryan Clarke and Kristen Shelton have confirmed the Flames are actively weighing their options. If Huberdeau moves, his new team's shot and point-production lines become immediately interesting — he remains a legitimate primary playmaker when healthy and motivated, and a change of scenery has historically correlated with improved output from wingers carrying heavy contracts. Blake Coleman, Morgan Frost, and Ryan Strome also enter the final year of their deals, meaning Calgary's forward corps could look entirely different by October.

The $104 million cap ceiling is the macro lever underneath all of this. With the upper limit rising, teams that were previously cap-constrained — think Toronto, Tampa, and Vegas — suddenly have room to add. That means more bidders for available players, inflated contract values on mid-tier contributors, and a general market shift that historically tightens line movement on team totals early in the offseason before sharper information emerges. For bettors, the window between now and when rosters stabilize is a research edge: prop markets on goalies like Jarry (saves, goals-against) and forwards in transition (Huberdeau anytime goal, points totals) will be mispriced until depth charts lock in. Monitor Oilers goalie deployment decisions closely — whichever netminder gets the crease in Edmonton is going to face heavy workloads behind a push-heavy offensive team, and save-total unders have historically been brutal to hold on struggling starters who don't get pulled early enough.